


Taking Chances. Giving Chances

by Afoolforatook



Series: An Anthology of Affection [34]
Category: RWBY
Genre: First Date, First Kiss, M/M, Qrow's insecurities, Relationship Anxieties, almost
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-06
Updated: 2020-08-06
Packaged: 2021-03-05 21:21:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,240
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25742017
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Afoolforatook/pseuds/Afoolforatook
Summary: He likes Clover.He really likes Clover.And apparently Clover feels the same, by some miracle.But is that enough?Is he enough?---------------------Part 34Saw a post of kissing prompts. Liked a bunch of them. Decided to give myself a daily challenge to get myself actually publishing things while I work on bigger projects.One prompt a day. Under 1500 words (or close to it).
Relationships: Qrow Branwen/Clover Ebi
Series: An Anthology of Affection [34]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1805008
Comments: 8
Kudos: 52





	Taking Chances. Giving Chances

Prompt 34 (originally prompt 35) - An awkward kiss given after a first date

Taking Chances. Giving Chances

\-------------------------------

Okay. 

It was a date. Nothing major. 

He’d done dates. 

Kind of. 

Okay. He hadn’t done dates in a very long time. 

But he was different. He was _tryin_ g to be different. 

And he liked Clover. He _really_ liked Clover. 

Qrow had told himself that they just worked well together. That he was lonely. That he was desperate to have another adult around. Who he could trust. Who he could relax around. 

And Clover was nice. Clover was kind and skilled and charismatic and… They worked. Despite his own fears, Qrow had to admit they were good partners in the field. And Clover… Clover made him happy. 

He called him out on his bullshit. He made him acknowledge his own accomplishments. He somehow managed to make Qrow want to be better, and not feel pressured all at once. 

But that’s all it was. He’d told himself that. 

That’s all it could be. 

Clover wasn’t interested. He was just nice. 

Anyway, even if he was interested… That… they could never… should never happen. 

And then Clover had asked him to dinner. 

Qrow had stammered and made some snide remark about cafeteria food. And Clover had stopped him, clarified. 

“Qrow, I’m asking you on a date.” 

Qrow managed to choke on nothing but air, needing a moment to cough and wheeze before finally looking over at his partner, who seemed stuck in a strange limbo between concerned, dejected, and amused. 

“You… Hahaha. Very funny, lucky cha-” He cursed his voice for the subtle crack. 

“I’m not joking, Qrow.” He stopped walking, turning to face Qrow in the Academy hallway as they headed back to their rooms after a training session. 

“I, Clover Ebi, want to take you, Qrow Branwen, to dinner. Just the two of us. Not as friends. Not as partners.” Green eyes held fast to red. “I want to go on a date with you… If you’d like.” 

Qrow just stared at his partner, mouth slightly open. How could this man be so unbelievably blunt? And so calm, unphased. 

But Qrow noticed something. A slight bloom of heat in the other man’s cheeks, his finger flicking subtly at the rabbit’s foot hanging from his belt. 

He was nervous. 

Clover was nervous. 

He was being serious. 

Clover fidgeted awkwardly as Qrow’s silence dragged on, and finally nodded, starting to turn and continue walking. There was an unfamiliar tone to his voice, a sadness, that Qrow hated. 

“Qrow, it’s fine if you don’t want to, I just had to as-” 

“Yeah.” he blurted, surprising even himself. 

“I… I mean… ahhh…” Qrow rubbed the back of his neck nervously before meeting Clover’s eyes.

“Yes. Dinner. You…” He sighed, his shoulders slumping, and huffed as he took his hand from his neck to rub at his mouth. He closed his eyes and took a breath before looking at Clover again. 

“I’d like that, Clover.” 

The smile that lit up Clover’s face was cruel in just how instantly it was able to make Qrow’s chest feel tight. 

“R-right…” Clover replied, trying to temper his relief and excitement, and only succeeding a little. 

“Well, I… I have to clean up and get to a meeting but it shouldn’t take more than an hour or so. I could pick you up around 7? I know the perfect place down in Mantle and…” His face fell suddenly. “Or… Sorry. You might be busy, that’s such short notice. I didn’t mean it had to be tonig-” 

Qrow’s fond laugh cut him off, as the older huntsman laid a hand on his partner’s shoulder. His own cheeks felt a little warm. He’d never seen the Atlesian flustered like that, starting to ramble. It was… incredibly cute. 

“Cloves, slow down. Tonight sounds great. I promised the kids I’d check in on them this afternoon but that won’t take long. How about I meet you at the hangar at 7:30 and we can take a transport down? Though… I don’t know what kind of place you have in mind but…” He looked down at himself a little sheepishly. “I don’t know if I really have much in the way of dressing up…” 

Clover grinned brightly. “No, no whatever’s fine. Nothing fancy. And… And I’m sure you’ll look great no matter what….” 

Qrow just squinted at him in amused confusion. He was just so… 

“Right… Well, we’d both better get cleaned up and back to work… I’ll… I’ll see you at 7:30.” 

“It’s a date!” Clover beamed and winked before turning down the hall to the Ace Ops quarters. 

\------------------------

They met at the hangar at 7:30. Qrow wearing his usual outfit, though he’d swapped his grey shirt out for a bit nicer red.  
Clover walked up in fitted jeans and an unbuttoned vest, a short-sleeve henley underneath. 

They made their way to a small diner in Mantle. Nothing fancy, but quaint. 

The night was calm and quiet, just talking, laughing. Easy. 

\------------------------------------

And then Clover was walking him back to his room. They stopped outside Qrow’s door, and he noticed Clover shuffle beside him for a moment, before clearing his throat.

“Qrow… I- I had a really good time tonight. And I’d… I’d like to do it again. If you’d like.” 

“Yeah, shamrock. So did I… and I’d… I’d like that.” He replied, his cheeks pleasantly warm. 

“That’s… That’s great! Because I…” Clover took a step forward, taking Qrow’s hand gently. He was so close now, his face just inches from Qrow’s. 

“I like you, Qrow. I really like you. More than I’ve liked anyone in a really long time…" He stopped himself just before saying 'maybe ever' "...and I just…” He leaned in, eyes flickering between red irises and Qrow’s lips. 

“You… you’re amazing, Qrow.” He whispered, his eyes focusing on Qrow’s lips, and his free hand resting gently on Qrow's hip. 

Qrow’s head was foggy, the warmth of Clover’s breath pulling him in without thinking. He watched as Clover leaned in and he followed, mind only on the pressure of Clover’s fingers on his hip, and the tenderness in his eyes, and the soft curve of his lips. Qrow’s breath came in clipped waves. 

“C-clover…” He whispered his hand curling around Clover’s tightly. He wanted this. He really really wanted this. Clover. Clover’s breath, his lips, his hands, his eyes. Pressed to him, holding him, kissing him, watching him. 

“I can’t stop thinking about you, and how happy I am around you and…” And then he was closing that last fraction of distance between them. And Qrow could go with it so easily.

He wanted to. 

But it was Clover. Kind, smart, talented, amazing, perfect Clover. And yes, Qrow wanted all of that; passionate embraces and urgent motions, panting breaths. But Clover. Clover was the first person in so long that he’d wanted more than that too. 

And 'more than that' wasn’t something he thought he could actually do again. He wasn’t enough anymore for 'more than that', he wasn’t sure he ever had been. 

Clover deserved more. More than just distracting intimacy. And as much as Qrow might want to give him that, he couldn’t. He shouldn't.

What they had was so good already. So important. Qrow didn’t want to ruin that for something so much less than what Clover deserved. 

All those thoughts rushed through his head in an instant, and right as he felt the soft pressure of Clover’s lips about to find his own, he turned his head sharply, Clover ending up bumping awkwardly against the edge of Qrow’s chin. 

Qrow pulled away quickly and slumped against the wall by his door, pinching his nose before dragging his hand down his face and sighing heavily through his fingers. 

“Shit! Clover… I… I’m sorry.” He groaned, unable to look at his partner.

“I… I really did have a good time tonight. A really really good time. And I do want to do it again, because… I like you… a lot… like you kind of terrify me, a lot… but…” He finally looked up at Clover apologetically. 

“The whole dating thing is something I have not done in a very long time. And… I don’t know how to, anymore. I don't even know if I can… if I should… I just..” 

Qrow watched seafoam eyes carefully. “Clover… I don't want to mess things up with you. With us, with whatever it is we’ve been before tonight. It’s… you’re too important to me. And I… I really did have a great time tonight, and I really do want to do it again but…” 

He looked down at his hands as he flexed them slowly, flicking one of his rings with his thumb. 

“But I don’t know if I can give you what you want like that… what you deserve. I… I don’t know if I have anything left to give like that. I’m kind of… I’m kind of skin and bones when it comes to that kind of thing. I’m just… I’m not cut out for relationships like that. And… all of that’s before you even get to my semblance… 

“Qrow. I told you. I like you. Just you. And if you need time… if you need time to figure out what you want, or to adjust, that’s okay." Clover started, turning to lean against the wall beside him.

"And I’ve told you, you are more than your semblance. You're not this toxic force that you think you are, Qrow.” The brunet stepped closer, now standing right in front of him, though he didn’t touch the other man. “Qrow, I … I feel safer with you than I have with anyone else. Ever. I just… We can take things as slowly as you need, and as far as you’re comfortable. But all that I want is to get to be with you, whatever that looks like.” 

“You’re right. I do want more than just a one-night thing, or casual or whatever. But I want it with you. And that’s exactly why it’s okay if you need time. I’m more than willing to take things slow, if that’s what you want if that’s what makes you happy. That’s all I want Qrow, is for you to be happy. And maybe… Maybe to see if I can be a part of giving you that. Of showing you how much you deserve that.” 

“Clover, I don’t know if I’ll ever… I don’t want to strin-” He tried to argue, to convince him. Why was he so persistent? Why did he just keep caring?

“Qrow. If you actually don’t want this, that’s fine. I’ll back off, things can go back to how they were, no worries. But… But if you think this is what you want, what could make you happy… just, for a minute, forget about all that other stuff, and if you want to try this, then, _please_. Please just let me try to show that this could work. Let me try to give you this.” 

“Clover it’s not…” A quiet objection.

“Do you want this, Qrow. Me?” Insistence.

“It’s not that simple.” He didn't understand.

“Yes, it is. What do you want.” He just kept caring.

“I… It’s not fair. Or safe… you…” Why couldn't he understand?

“Qrow. Do you want to be with me.” He made it sound so easy.

“I...Clover... _I don’t know!_ ” Qrow's voice cracked sharply. “I… I _think_ so. But… Clover, I… I can’t just forget all of that. I can’t just turn it off. I wish I could but I can’t. I just _can’t,_ Clover.” 

Clover reached up slowly to brush a tear from his cheek. His voice was kind, patient. How did he keep being so patient?

“Okay. It’s okay. I understand, Qrow. But, in that case, can you… Please, Qrow. Just give me a chance. Give us a chance. Just a chance. If it doesn’t work, it’s okay but just… Let me try to make you happy. _Please_. That’s all I’m asking for. A chance.” 

Qrow stared at him, at the tender pleading in his eyes. Finally, his shoulders fell. 

“I... “ He closed his eyes and sighed heavily. “Fine. Fine, Clover. I can try. Just… I can’t just jump-”

“As slow as you need! I promise.” And there was that smile again. That illustrious smile, that for some reason seemed to be just for him. Seemed to show how much Clover wanted this, him. How much he cared. 

Clover noticed the slight tremble in Qrow’s hands. “Qrow? Can... Can I hug you?”

Qrow stifled a sudden laugh, a kind laugh. What was it with Atlesians wanting to hug him?

“...Y-yeah, Cloves.” He couldn't keep the fondness from his voice

And his partner pulled him close, his arms gently wrapping around him, warm and safe and steady. And despite himself, Qrow melted into it. His eyes closed as he took in the crisp, earthy scent that clung to Clover. His breath was shaky as his hands curled in the back of Clover’s shirt. 

“Thank you, Qrow. Thank you.” It was whispered into his neck as Clover ran a hand through his hair soothingly. It was the softest thing he'd heard in a very long time.

Qrow’s breath hitched and he clung a little tighter as he exhaled slowly through his teeth, blinking back tears. 

_What was he doing?_

Why did he want it so badly?

**Author's Note:**

> This convo got a lot more complicated than I originally planned, and deserves more thought than the like hour I took for it... but that's what revisions are for, so.... And maybe later I'll write a chapter better detailing the date, but I ran out of time...
> 
> \---------  
> There were 50 prompts originally, but I've already thought of a few more. Also had multiple ideas for a few, which is why some might be listed as chapter 1, with a future version of the prompt coming later.
> 
> Might not end up sticking strictly to the daily thing, but I'll do my best. Either way, here's an ongoing series of little moments.
> 
> Original prompt list - https://kashimalin-fanfiction.tumblr.com/post/178524845380/50-types-of-kisses-writing-prompts
> 
> Might edit here and there later, but the goal here was to just finish something, even if it's not perfectly polished.


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